The Suspended Third Sword

The Evil Seed dodged the two swords from above and below, but ultimately couldn't escape the heart-piercing punch, yelping in pain.

Ji You pressed his advantage, his sword a series of surging waves.

The opponent was clearly no longer as carefree as before, and while fending off the claw attacks, he was extremely cautious, constantly looking up to guard against the two swords suspended in the air.

As sword met claw, the Evil Seed gradually fell into a disadvantage, forced to switch from offense to defense.

Meanwhile, Ji You calmly advanced, his sword thrusting forward expressionlessly. His attacks grew faster and fiercer, creating an overwhelming offensive.

Witnessing this, the onlookers thought that with two swords already gaining the upper hand, the third might not even be necessary.

Besides, the Evil Seed was already wary of the swords suspended three feet away; a repeat would be far less effective.

However, at this very moment, Ji You's ears caught a sizzling sound, and his brow furrowed instantly.

He parried the Evil Seed, which was brimming with malevolent energy, with his sword. Simultaneously, he waved his sleeve, and the third, previously motionless sword, shot forward. It didn't head towards the Evil Seed, but pierced straight behind him!

The spectators suddenly gasped and stood up, watching the sword fly relentlessly towards the black-clothed cultivator of the Dao Integration Realm, circling to strike his back!

"What is he doing?!"

"Lightning Law! The third sword's target is to interrupt the Dao Integration Realm's Lightning Law!"

In a clash between cultivators, a flurry of punches could be exchanged in an instant. Within a few breaths, over a hundred moves had already passed.

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui were struggling immensely.

The black-clothed Dao Integration cultivator, in particular, knew he was being held back and was extremely anxious. He unleashed a barrage of simple, direct punches, each carrying immense, deadly force.

After countless exchanges, a blinding flash appeared before Ban Yangshu's eyes, and his face turned pale. He thought, It's over, I can't dodge this.

At that moment of life and death, a flying sword cut through the air!

The black-clothed Dao Integration cultivator had never expected a sneak attack from behind. His pupils constricted, and he immediately dodged. In the nick of time, his Lightning Law was interrupted.

Seeing this, the crowd on the western street under the night sky erupted in an uproar.

Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui seized the chance to breathe and immediately lunged forward, their swords flashing.

Martial skills are ultimately a minor path...

Dual cultivation of martial and cultivation arts was a waste of time...

Ban Yangshu recalled the scene upstairs, his gaze sweeping towards the sword master in white in the darkness.

Just a three-foot iron tool, yet in his hands, it flowed like water, transforming in countless ways. Moreover, he didn't have preparatory movements for returning his sword; as soon as there was an opening, he would immediately switch to the second sword for a thrust.

He rotated two swords in his hands, picking one up and putting one down, his angles extremely tricky.

At the same time, he continuously waved his sleeve, and the third sword, driven by spiritual energy, repeatedly darted towards the Dao Integration cultivator before them.

This sword wasn't powerful, but it was incredibly distracting.

Sometimes, a clear sword cry would sound, only for the sword to stop halfway – a feint!

But the Dao Integration cultivator had to defend and counter-attack simultaneously, his rhythm completely disrupted. This gave Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui countless opportunities to catch their breath.

Lu Qingqiu, Sun Zhiqiao, Lou Siyi, and the surrounding cultivators were all stunned at this moment.

A cultivator at the Perfection of the Lower Three Realms, using three spirit swords, had invisibly controlled two battlefields!

"From the moment he joined the fight, he had already prepared the third sword for his companions!"

"That Evil Seed's body is tough and won't lose combat effectiveness in a short time. The only imbalance was the Dao Integration Realm on the other side. If those two Profound Comprehension cultivators were defeated too quickly, even his immortal-like swordsmanship would be useless."

"So, the third sword wasn't a killing blow, but a disruptive one!"

"This is... the Disrupting Sword!"

Just as everyone had guessed, after Ji You's third sword joined the adjacent battlefield, the black-clothed Dao Integration cultivator's Lightning Law was repeatedly interrupted.

Although Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui were still struggling, they were no longer as dishevelled as before. Instead, the black-clothed Dao Integration cultivator, who was gathering lightning, was repeatedly harassed by the flying sword, growing increasingly enraged. He never expected a cultivator at the Perfection of the Lower Three Realms could influence the battle so much.

Just then, the western night sky suddenly surged with spiritual energy, and countless cultivators in white robes from the Celestial Academy arrived, treading on air.

The black-clothed Dao Integration cultivator was shocked and quickly retreated, abandoning the fight. He then stepped on the wind, grabbed the Evil Seed and the injured swordsman, and fled rapidly.

The Celestial Academy quickly split into two teams. One team continued the aerial pursuit, while the other descended and ran towards the previous battlefield.

Ji You suddenly let out a sigh of relief and sheathed his three swords into their scabbards, his lips slightly pale.

He had been tricked by old Wang.

Although he had suffered backlash after his Spirit Core shattered, the efficiency of his spiritual energy circulation had increased significantly. His internal and external energy flow was unimpeded, providing him with enough spiritual energy to control multiple swords.

However, controlling multiple swords wasn't just about consuming spiritual energy, as Instructor Wang had claimed; it actually consumed far more spiritual sense.

It was like trying to think about multiple things at once in your mind – not easy.

"Ji You, Ji You!"

Cao Jinsong and Wang Xinan arrived with their disciples: "Are you injured? Where are you hurt?"

Ji You took a deep breath: "You guys took too long to get here."

Cao Jinsong had already examined his entire body: "There are no wounds on you. Why is your complexion so bad?"

"It's my spiritual sense. I've consumed too much of it. I'll probably need a long sleep to recover."

Ji Qirui, also being supported by someone, couldn't help but glance at Ji You, who had sat down to recover his senses. He then met Ban Yangshu's gaze, and both of their expressions were incredibly complex.

They had just been in the building saying dual cultivation of martial and cultivation arts was useless, yet now their lives were saved because of him.

If it weren't for Ji You, and someone else of the same realm had been in his place, they definitely wouldn't have survived.

That third floating sword wasn't strong, but it had created enough psychological pressure for those in the Dao Integration Realm.

So, the Martial Dao wasn't purely about martial skills; it also involved fighting the human heart and combat awareness.

Ji Qirui endured the sharp pain in his shoulder. "He's so good with a sword, why doesn't he carry one when he goes out? If he had four, maybe we could have won."

Cao Jinsong looked up after hearing this. "Carry a sword? He's so poor, are you going to buy him one? Easy for you to say."

"?"

"Who, who's buying me something? Buying what?"

Ji You, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly looked up. He became interested upon hearing someone mention buying him things.

Cao Jinsong reached out, muttering as he came back to his senses, and closed Ji You's eyes again. "Send someone to the Celestial Academy to get a wooden carriage and carry the injured back to the courtyard!"

"Yes, Instructor!"

The incident of disciples from the Celestial Academy being attacked on the streets of Shengjing caused immense outrage within the academy.

In addition to the team that had pursued the attackers earlier, the Affairs Management Courtyard also took action upon hearing the news, dispatching a large number of disciples.

The Affairs Management Courtyard operated independently between the Inner Court and Outer Court, responsible for handling internal and external sect affairs and maintaining the sect's prestige. It held considerable power.

With their involvement, the Great Xia imperial court also caught wind of the situation. They immediately arranged for the Immortal Affairs Supervision Bureau and the local county yamen at the scene to cooperate and continuously search for the culprits.

The disciples of the Celestial Academy later heard about the incident, and discussions spread like wildfire.

As a result, disciples gathered everywhere: on the Ascension Platform, the Dao Comprehension Ground, the Jade Garden of Bingshui Lake, and in the male and female dormitories.

First-year, second-year, and third-year students, even fourth and fifth-year students who usually stayed in seclusion, came out and gathered in the corridors and courtyards, discussing the matter animatedly.

Besides lamenting the audacity of the attackers, some were also confused about how they survived a battle that involved experts in the Dao Integration Realm. After all, the gap in realms couldn't be bridged simply by numbers.

"Ji You."

"Ji You? He hasn't even entered the upper five realms, what could he do?"

"Dual cultivation of martial and cultivation arts, three swords alone, controlling two opponents..."